Love for Sale
by Damian1245
Summary: What started out as a simple house sale might just blossom into a budding love, as the handsome real estate agent falls head-over-heels for his gorgeous blond-haired client. ** HIATUS - Lemons involved - Main: PruCan **
1. Meet and Greet

**Title: **Love for Sale**  
Fandom: **Hetalia(alternate dimension where they aren't actually countries)**  
Theme(s): **Romance, angst, comfort**  
Pairing(s): **PruCan, FraUK, SpaRom, GerIta, and RusUS(because I'm sadistic like that, k?)**  
Summary: **A little nightmare here, a bit of sucky job there, and you have a whole Gilbert! But let's not forget his oh-so-adorable soul mate; Matthew! What started out as a simple house sale might just blossom into a budding love, as the handsome real estate agent falls head-over-heels for his gorgeous blond-haired client.**  
Author's Notes: **I love PruCan. It's my OTP and it probably always will be. As a disclaimer, you've probably heard it all before, I don't own Hetalia, nor the characters portrayed in my 'FAN'fiction. I simply had a devious idea, and now I'm putting it to the test. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

**Chapter 1: Meet and Greet**

This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening! Everything, everyone.. Burning right before his eyes. They did this. They had warned him, had told him this would happen. He wouldn't listen, but he would now. He had to listen now, he had nothing left. Everybody was gone, dead. He was empty, hollow. It was all his fault...

* * *

Gilbert awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright off the couch, a hand outstretched and the other fisted tightly at his chest. Red eyes wide, he slowly got his bearings, taking a shuddering breath as he pushed the outstretched hand into his face.

"Scheiße.. Another one of those nightmares." he whispered to himself, shivering slightly. He couldn't remember if he had screamed or not, but judging by the sudden thump of footsteps coming down the basement stairs, he had. He waited as the door was opened and the form of his younger brother stood in the doorway.

"Bruder.. Are you alright?" Ludwig's voice was concerned, and Gil couldn't help but smile. He turned to face the blond, passing it off with a grin.

"Ja, I'm fine. It must have been a ghost or something. Startled me, is all. Just go back to bed, Luddy." his voice seemed to mask his feelings, which made him mentally breathe a sigh of relief when the other nodded a bit and turned to leave. He laid back down, listening to the door close and the footsteps as they slowly receded back upstairs. With a soft sigh, he curled in toward the back of the couch, eyes drooping shut. He really needed to stop reading those creepy-pasta things before sleeping.

* * *

The next morning wasn't much better on the albino. All day, he had been drowsy and ill-tempered, knowing that most of the people who knew him would blow it off as a hangover. He hadn't had any alcohol for almost six months now, which surprised even him. Those nightmares had been worse when he tried to drink them away, so he had stopped drinking all together. He had just dozed off again at his desk at work when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder and caused his eyes to flash open and his body to jump instinctively.

"Hey, Gil, I.. Whoa. You look like shit, man." the voice that met his ears caused him to groan as he looked back to find his Spanish co-worker, Antonio, looking quite worried for him. He gave his signature grin, which automatically made the naive man smile back, and laughed.

"You don't look that great yourself, Toni. Rom giving you hell again?" Gilbert couldn't help but snicker at the perplexed look on the man's face.

"Don't joke about that. But.. yes, he is. I don't understand why, though."

"You rarely do." Another voice joined the mix, a tall, long haired blond man leaning over the side of Gil's cubicle with a grin on his face. The albino sighed softly, though returned the welcoming grin.

"What's up, Francis?"

"Oh, the usual. I met an interesting petite dame last night. She is quite the cute one!" Gilbert made a face and then laughed.

"Knowing you, she's probably a tranny prostitute." Toni commented, a crooked grin on his face. Gilbert laughed even more, to which Francis responded with a phrase in French that he didn't catch. It wasn't long before the other two were laughing along, though, and then the sharp tap on a wooden stick hitting the cubicle wall interrupted their fun.

"All of you, back to work. Shoo!" the blond man spoke with a clear British accent, pushing a set of glasses up further onto his nose with the stick. Gil couldn't stand to look at the guy- didn't he ever trim those damn eyebrows? And he seriously needed some contacts. He looked dorky in those glasses.

"Si, boss man!" Why did Toni sound so.. Mexican here?

"Oui, mon cher." Ew. Did Francis really see something in Mr. Kirkland?

"Ja, ja. Don't get your panties in a bunch." he mumbled, sighing and waiting for the others to clear off. He groaned softly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He really needed some sleep. Right as the thought crossed his mind about skipping the rest of the day, the telephone rang. He cleared his throat and answered quickly, repeating the business phrase.

"This is 'Kirkland Real Estate', where we make the magic in finding you the perfect home! Gilbert Weillschmidt speaking."

"Oh, y-yes. Hello. I had c-called about a small home several days ago. Am I still s-scheduled to see it today?" Gilbert had to look through his records before placing the voice with a name, raising a brow.

"Yes, of course, Mr. Williams."

"Can I see it now, then?" Damn, he sounded excited.

"You know what, I'd be more than happy to meet you there and show you around. I've been to the place myself, and if you're as.." he paused, thinking of several words in his mind before choosing something easy, "..adorable as you sound, then I think you'll like it." Gilbert grinned when he heard a slight intake of breath on the other line. He couldn't help it, he liked picking on the clients.

"R-Right then. I'll s-see you t-there." He heard a sound as if the man was about to drop the phone, sliding back in his chair to stand as he hung up once hearing the click. He grabbed his coat and hurriedly went for the key room, passing over several until he found the one he needed. This might actually be a fun sale!

* * *

A few blocks away from the house he shared with his two brothers, Gilbert was surprised to find the waiting house to be not that far away. It was actually within walking distance, now that he thought about it. He parked his car, a cobalt blue sports car, and stepped out to make a once-over of the house and yard. The man hadn't shown up yet, so he took the liberty of walking up the steps to the raised porch and unlocking the door. He actually did like this house, and had always hoped it would be bought by someone who knew how to take care of a goddamn place.

He was still lost in thought when a cautious hand tapped his shoulder, making him blink and glance back. His eyes went wide, staring down at the most adorable thing he had ever seen. Blond, medium hair reached the shoulders, a perfect French wave to it with the cutest little sprig of hair sticking out in front with a tentative curl. A gorgeously round face, pink cheeks, amazing blue-violet eyes framed by a pair of glasses. All that in the face, he was even more astounded by the fact that this man had the sweet curves of a woman.

"Um.. e-excuse me, are you.. Mr. Weillschmidt?" the man asked, forced to gaze off from the heavy scrutiny. Gilbert blinked, shaking himself out of the former trance, and gave him a beaming smile. He was definitely going to like this guy.

"Call me Gilbert, I'm not big on formalities. Yeah, I'm a real estate agent, but that doesn't mean I'm a total stick-up-the-ass kind of guy." With a laugh, he opened the door to the house and motioned the blond inside. "You're going to love the place."

"Ah.. Gilbert, t-then. I'm g-glad you were able t-to show me the house today, eh? I've been n-needing somewhere a bit bigger t-than my last." he spoke, edging past Gil until he was inside the living room. "...Holy maple."

Gilbert gave another beaming grin, easily putting the accent to a Canadian-French area. And by the sounds of it, he already liked what he saw of the house. Eagerly, he went into the details of the property, showing him all the different rooms and then the large fenced in backyard. He couldn't help but enjoy every minute he was spending on this one sale, continuously saying a few things here and there to make the man blush. After a good hour or so, he stood on the front porch, locking the door. He turned to face the man, still grinning.

"You really seemed to fall in love with the house. I'm surprised you called this 'small'! But seriously, why do you need such a big place, if it's just you?" Gil tipped his head to one side, arms casually in his pockets. The man gave a slight smile, seeming embarrassed by the question.

"Well, y-you see.. I love animals, and I recently got a p-permit.. And I needed a place for.. my new polar bear cub.." he glanced back at his car(and Gilbert noted it was also a sports car, a beautiful cherry red but built for luxury instead of speed) and pointed to a spot of white in the backseat. Upon a closer look, Gil recognized the thing to be breathing, and he let out a whistle of amusement.

"So you like bears, Mr. Williams?" he asked, glancing back at him again.

"Ah. All animals, really. And p-please call me Matthew. I'm not r-really used to being called 'mister'.. aha.." Matthew gave a weak smile, scratching the back of his neck nervously. Gil grinned again, extending his hand. After a moment, Matthew took the hand and they shook in an official greeting.

"If you like, we can go down to the office and you can complete the paperwork. Because I can tell already that you're not letting this place go." With a chuckle at the man's surprised look, Gil motioned to the cars. "Well?"

"I suppose so. I do have the money on hand.." Bingo!

"Then allow me to escort you to the office." Gilbert jingled the house keys in his hand with a smirk before taking the front steps two at a time, practically running to his car. He heard Matthew fumble with his keys as he slid into his racer - as he called it - and started up the engine. After several moments, they had pulled out of the drive and the albino was on his way to making possibly the best sale of his career.

* * *

*** Read and review please!~ I'd love to hear your thoughts! ***


	2. Late Night Calls

**Title: **Love for Sale**  
Fandom: **Hetalia(alternate dimension where they aren't actually countries)**  
Theme(s): **Romance, angst, comfort**  
Pairing(s): **PruCan, FraUK, SpaRom, GerIta, and RusUS(because I'm sadistic like that, k?)**  
Summary: **A little nightmare here, a bit of sucky job there, and you have a whole Gilbert! But let's not forget his oh-so-adorable soul mate; Matthew! What started out as a simple house sale might just blossom into a budding love, as the handsome real estate agent falls head-over-heels for his gorgeous blond-haired client.**  
Author's Notes:** Ok, so I kinda have an editor. Sort of. Disclaimers are same as chapter 1, of course, and I only claim rights to my ideas and thoughts on how the characters act. There will be chapters where it goes to other points of view, which is how the other pairings come into play, so I just wanted to make that clear. Enjoy!

**Chapter 2: Late Night Calls**

The sale went through quite quickly, the paperwork filled out and approved, and everything was paid. All of that, and Gilbert was able to get Matthew's number. He had decided that they should keep in touch; for business reasons of course(though this was only half true). With that one happening, he was able to make it through the rest of the day without faltering in his work once. It was amazing, what one man could do for his day. His night wasn't so great, though.

* * *

Gilbert awoke with a start, eyes wide and his body broken out in a cold sweat. He gasped for air, sitting up and gripping tightly onto the back of the couch, his free hand at his chest. That was the third time in the past few hours, and at this rate he wasn't going to get any sleep. At the sound of his phone vibrating on the table beside him, he fought the primal urge to jump out of his skin. Gott damn, who would be calling this late? He reached over to answer the phone with a click, not even pausing to look at the I.D.

"Hallo?" he answered with his usual greeting, though found there to be nothing but silence. He was about to hang up when he heard a sigh.

"He was so lively, Kumato. All bouncy and hyper. He must have a lot of friends." With a choked sound of realization, he figured out that Matthew must have had the phone in his pocket and hit a counter or something, thus butt-dialing him. He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he laid back down, phone still at his ear.

"Gilbert... It's such a nice name, too. Don't you think, Kumarine?" Here, Gil got confused. Didn't he say Kumato before? Who was he talking to, anyways? From their conversation the day earlier, he only knew the man to live with his pet polar bear. But why did he change names all of a sudden?

"What's that? My p-phone? Eh!" With a swift flick of the wrist, Gilbert shut the phone off, staring at the screen for a few long moments. He halfheartedly wondered if the blond would call him back, he didn't get his hopes up though. But sure enough, the screen lit up and the phone vibrated in his hand. Once, twice he let it ring before he answered.

"Hallo Matthew." he greeted simply, as if nothing had happened.

"I-I'm sorry, Gilbert. I didn't m-mean to call you a minute ago, eh? I wasn't p-paying attention..." He smirked to himself, easily reading the flustered tone.

"It's fine. I couldn't sleep, anyways. What are you doing up this early anyways?"

"Packing, still. Aha..." Oh, duh. He felt stupid now.

"I... I knew that. Hah..."

"Gilbert? You seem... anxious." Ah hell.

"Me? Nah. Just restless, I suppose. I actually had some 'homework' to do, my boss is a bastard like that." Hey, it was half true.

"Oh..." There was a long pause where neither of them spoke, a strange tension in the air.

"Hey Matthew?"

"Oui?"

"...You speak French." Gilbert said it like a statement, eyes wide as he stared up at the ceiling. Honestly, and he would never admit this to Francis, he liked the French language. It was sexy, in a way.

"Aha.. y-yes. Canadian-French, eh? Haha..." At this, Gil couldn't help but laugh.

"That little 'eh' you do is so stereotypical Canadian. But.. I like it." he continued before the other could interject, "Anyways, I was going to ask if you needed help with the moving tomorrow. It's actually my day off, even though I have to turn in that crap Kirkland gave me." He waited for Matt's answer, not even noticing how he was holding his breath on this.

"I suppose another pair of hands wouldn't hurt. Though I have to warn you, aha.. I won't make it easy for you." He heard a cute, almost nervous chuckle. Alright, so he wanted hard labour. He could handle that.

"I'll be ready for it, then. When should I be awake?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Seven sharp. I like to get things done early, you know?" Oh man, he couldn't get enough of him.

"Seven it is. I'll be awaiting your call for instructions to your house."

"Alright then.. uh. G-Good night, then."

"Gut nacht." He heard a muffled laugh before the phone went silent, an amused grin on his lips as he shut off the phone and set it back on the table. Well, he thought, I'd better find a way to bypass these nightmares or else I'm going to be sluggish again tomorrow. With that, his eyes drooped shut and he was asleep in a matter of moments.

* * *

The next morning greeted Gilbert with a crack of thunder and the vibrating of his phone. He jumped up, stumbled off the couch with a thud, and grabbed the phone quickly. It was already seven? And gott, it was dreary outside. He couldn't see any lightning, but the thunder was annoyingly loud and rain pattered against the den's windows. He opened the phone and answered.

"Hallo?"

"Hey, sleepyhead. You forgot, didn't you?" Gil stifled a yawn, rubbing at his eyes with a groan.

"M'sorry, Matthew. I guess I didn't get as much sleep as I thought." Truth was, he had woken up several other times after going back to sleep. So much for getting some rest.

"Aha, it's fine. If you're not up to it, I'll be fine." Gil perked up a bit, headed for the small bathroom connected to where he slept.

"Nein. Let me catch a quick shower und I'll be over. Text me the way to your house, okay?" A hand reached over to turn on the hot water for the shower, Gilbert already stripping out of his clothes.

"..Okay then. I'll see you in a bit?"

"Ja. Soon." A click on the other end of the phone, and he pulled his cell away from his ear to shut it and toss it onto a towel. He groaned softly, stretching a bit before stripping off the rest of his clothes and stepping into the steamy water.

"Mein gott.. I'm so not ready for today..." A soft sigh escaped him before he tipped his head under the water and grabbed the shampoo. Today was definitely going to be hectic.

* * *

*** Ok, so it's probably not as long or as good as my first chapter, but it's here. Read and review, please! ***


	3. Changing

**Title: **Love for Sale**  
Fandom: **Hetalia(alternate dimension where they aren't actually countries)**  
Theme(s): **Romance, angst, comfort**  
Pairing(s): **PruCan, FraUK, SpaRom, GerIta, and RusUS(because I'm sadistic like that, k?)**  
Summary: **A little nightmare here, a bit of sucky job there, and you have a whole Gilbert! But let's not forget his oh-so-adorable soul mate; Matthew! What started out as a simple house sale might just blossom into a budding love, as the handsome real estate agent falls head-over-heels for his gorgeous blond-haired client.**  
Author's Notes:** Ok, so things start to get a little freakier in this chapter. All the disclaimers of before, blahblahblah. Hehe. These things get shorter and shorter, but I promise I'll try for a long one next.~

**Chapter 3: Changing**

Gilbert hit the nail on the head when he had told himself he wasn't ready for the day. It had taken him several times and countless u-turns to finally get to Matthew's house. Not to mention the fact that he had slipped trying to get out of the car and damaged his hip to the point of limping. 'Not ready' was such an understatement.

The day just seemed to want to get worse on him, once again slipping on the steps leading to the door. He had caught himself this time, but had also slammed into the frame of said door. Hard. Hurried steps met his ears as he leaned against the wall, shoving a hand into his face with a light groan. The click of the door brought him to look up, and the storm outside seemed to brighten at the sight of Matthew with his shirt sleeves rolled to the elbows and a ribbon holding back his hair. Too cute!

"Oh god.. Gilbert, are you a-alright?" Gil gave his best 'I'm-not-in-pain' smile and nodded.

"Ja, I'm perfectly fine. Shall we get started on moving your stuff?" He could tell that Matthew didn't buy the act, but was relieved when he didn't ask questions. Once inside, he couldn't help but stop to look around the place. This was considered small? Didn't Matthew want a smaller house? It didn't make sense, because this was in fact smaller than the place he had bought yesterday.

"You have sizing issues, Matthew. Really." Gilbert laughed at the perplexed look on the others face, waving his hand to dismiss the comment.

"Alright then, Mr. High-and-Mighty. Can we get to work?" Matthew asked him with his arms crossed over his chest, brows furrowed. Another laugh left the albino before he nodded and asked him to give him directions on what needed to be where, and what was to be loaded in the truck first.

* * *

It was a while before they were able to get the biggest things loaded up, if only because the rain(and Gilbert's limp) was holding up their progress. Time and time again, he had to tell Matthew that he was fine, that he could handle something this small. Truth be told, it was getting a little irritating after the fourteenth time or so.

"Matt, for the last time.. I'm absolutely fine. Stop worrying about me so damn much!" He didn't mean to snap at him, and he instantly regretted it. The blond had looked shocked, almost on the verge of tears it seemed. Gilbert sighed.

"I'm sorry, I.. I didn't mean to seem angry.." he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck and gazing off. He gave a heavy sigh, turning away from him and picking up another box.

"Can we just.. hurry along? You said you wanted things finished early.. so..." Gil refused to look at him, emotions drifting across each other in his mind. When was the last time he apologized to someone and actually meant it like that? How in the world did one man get to him like this? It wasn't as if he was gay, and yet he felt himself drawn to him for some reason. Because he looked like a girl? Or was it.. something else..

Gilbert didn't have time to think on this new revelation, his foot catching the corner of an uplifted rug, an act which sent him face-first into the nearest pile of boxes. They came down hard on top of him, and he blacked out.

* * *

"_We're warning you, Gilbert. If you don't change your attitude, everything and everyone you love will be gone._"

"_But what have I done to deserve this? How do I change!_"

"_You've lied, cheated, you've been a thief and an unfaithful lover. You're a horrible friend, and a slacker at work. The question is.. what _haven't_ you done?_"

"_But I.._"

"_This is our last warning. If our 'angel' can't straighten you out, you're going to die. You're a hindrance to our balance._"

"_Angel? What do you mean I'll die! I don't understand any of this!_"

"_Your last chance, Gilbert._"

"_Wait!.._"

* * *

Gilbert awoke with a start, eyes wide open and gasping for breath. Where was he? This wasn't the den. Someone was above him, who was- Matthew. It took him a moment before his heart calmed its rapid thudding, but the adrenaline didn't go away.

"Gil? Are you alright?" he heard the blond speak, and Gil sat up slowly. He glanced at the boxes that had been shoved aside carelessly and then back up at Matthew.

"I.. I don't think I am.." he whispered, putting a hand to the side of his head. He hurt all over, his head was pounding, and he had a horrible sense that something was going to happen if he kept acting like he was. He couldn't remember that dream, but he knew it was a bad one.

"I don't think I can get myself home, Matt. Could you..?" he looked up at Matthew, a slight frown on his face. For some reason, Gil couldn't help but get the feeling that the man was trying to hide a smile.

"Yeah. These were the last boxes to be loaded. I'll just toss them in the truck, and I can get you home. I can return your car and get my brother to drive mine." Gilbert blinked. He had a brother? Did he mention that the last time they talked? He couldn't remember.

"Aha, danke. I'll just.. I'll wait here." he muttered, leaning back against the wall with a slight wince. Oh man, it was a horrible day. He really needed to do something about his karma lately.

* * *

*** Read and review, thanks! Hope you enjoyed it~ ***


	4. L'amour

**Title: **Love for Sale**  
Fandom: **Hetalia(alternate dimension where they aren't actually countries)**  
Theme(s): **Romance, angst, comfort**  
Pairing(s): **PruCan, FraUK, SpaRom, GerIta, and RusUS(because I'm sadistic like that, k?)**  
Summary: **A little nightmare here, a bit of sucky job there, and you have a whole Gilbert! But let's not forget his oh-so-adorable soul mate; Matthew! What started out as a simple house sale might just blossom into a budding love, as the handsome real estate agent falls head-over-heels for his gorgeous blond-haired client.**  
Author's Notes: **Disclaimers, blahblah! I own nothing except the right to this idea/story!~ Ok, so in this chapter things get a bit complicated for our poor, sweet Gilbert. All in all, I think I did good. ;D

**Chapter 4:** **L'amour**

It didn't take long for the two to reach the house where Gilbert lived with his younger brother. He couldn't help but pull a grin as he watched Matthew realize just how close the house was from his own. Before either could say a word, a tall, muscular man appeared next to the passenger door to the truck, tapping on the window. It was still raining and Gilbert was surprised to see Ludwig there waiting. The door opened, and he all but fell against the younger man.

"Ouch.. Hey, Luddy. Why were you waiting for me?" He received an odd glance, as if his brother had just seen the other man in the truck.

"I.. was worried, bruder. I had a bad feeling about today, and I was going to tell you. But you were gone by the time I woke up.. which is kind of rare for you," he paused, "Why did you get up so early?" Gilbert glanced back at Matthew, giving him an apologetic grin.

"I promised my friend I'd help him move in. But I turned out to be more of a nuisance, huh?.." Why the hell did he just say that so readily, and in front of Ludwig no less! That nightmare was still just out of reach, but he had a feeling that whatever it was, it was affecting him big time.

"Not really a nuisance, you were just slower than you thought." Matthew offered. Gil gave a soft sigh, thankful that the blond had managed to catch that. Ludwig leaned into the truck a bit to shake Matthew's hand, and the two exchanged names. A wave of dizziness struck Gil hard, his eyes closed as he swayed and leaned on his brother's arm for support.

"Mein gott, can you just get me inside the house? I feel like I'm about to lose my stomach, here. And trust me, it won't be pretty." Ludwig took the hint and thanked Matt for returning his brother, offering to help unload the truck when the weather let up. Gilbert frowned at that, but wasn't able to get a word in before Matthew accepted. He sighed, waving to the man before the truck door was closed and the truck pulled out of the drive. Gil fought off another wave of dizziness as his brother hooked an arm around his shoulders and helped him into the house and onto the couch.

* * *

The next few hours were a blur, his consciousness fading in and out, and frequently he came-to in a cold sweat. He had given up on a shirt, simply tossing it onto the back of the couch and forgetting about it. Gil had begun to think that maybe he hit his head a little too hard when he had hit the floor, that maybe he had a concussion. Ludwig had quickly proved that wrong, which he wasn't happy nor upset about that. At one point, one of his brother's dogs had wandered over and laid its head in his lap. Normally being against the dogs even being near him, he was too tired to shoo it away, instead resting a hand on the German Shepherd's head and giving it a soft smile.

After blacking out a few more times, he woke up to the sun annoyingly bright on his face. With a groan, Gilbert shifted an arm to cover his eyes and found that the little dog they had was curled up, content on his chest. He went to put it on the floor, but he paused, thinking about his nightmares. He could remember broken phrases and words, and he didn't want to know what they had said all of a sudden. With a resigned sigh, he leaned back onto the arm rest, simply staring up at the ceiling. He didn't think Ludwig was in the house, probably outside with the two bigger dogs. It gave him time to think about the past two days.

Gilbert knew he had met Matthew for a reason, but he couldn't figure it out. There was something bigger going on, something out of his control. But then again, he had always controlled his life before this. He ran over all the things that they had talked about the first day, going on about their families and jobs, how neither of them really had any really close friends... Sure, Gil could count Francis and Toni as friends, but.. they weren't that close to him. Of course, he had joked about them being gay. He hadn't realized it then, but as he thought now he couldn't help but remember that Matthew had seemed a little odd about that conversation.

He gave a frustrated growl, shoving a hand into his face to rub at his eyes. He just didn't get any of it! What could Gilbert, one man with a life full of mistakes, do to keep this one friend? And then it hit him. What if he liked him more than just that? But he wasn't gay! And with a startling realization that he might be, he grimaced at the outcome. He needed to make a phone call.

After removing the dog from his chest and setting it back gently on the couch, he moved into the kitchen - furiously brushing dog hair off of his bare chest - and grabbed the house phone. Gil paused, thinking over several options. He could call _her_, talk about Matthew, and have her fawning over him and other shit. Or he could call _him_, talk about Matthew, and maybe get some help in this whole situation. Elizabeta or Francis? With a groan, he dialed his friend's number and waited for the Frenchman to pick up the line.

"Bonjour, Gilbert! How is mon meilleur ami today?" _Ugh.._

"Heeeey.. Francis. I need.. advice." Gilbert made a face. He couldn't believe he was actually asking!

"Oui, this I figured. Is it a petit madam?" _Fuck.._

"Um.. no."

"Non? This is surprising. Does that mean you are embracing open-minded amour?" _What?_

"What does that even mean? Look, just.. Can you grab Toni and meet me at the cafe? I need some serious help."

"Oui, this I can do."

"Danke.."

And with that, he hung up the phone and sank into the nearest chair. Gilbert drew a heavy sigh, unwilling to think of the ridiculous things his two buddies would come up with after hearing that he actually liked another guy. He didn't even hear Ludwig come in, but he jumped when a dog nose was shoved against his pained hip.

"OW! Fuck.. Luddy, get your stupid dog away from me! That hurts.." Gilbert pushed at the dog - somewhat weakly, but of course he wouldn't admit to being weak - until a sharp whistle from the other room called its attention away and it trotted out of the kitchen. He sighed again, rubbing at his face before standing slowly, using the table to make his way over to the fridge. He pulled out a bottle of water, kicking the door shut before rummaging in the cabinet for pain killers. He knew better than to take any kind of drug with alcohol, as he had done it before, and he wasn't about to let himself meet the floor again anytime soon. He popped a couple pills back and drowned them with the water, groaning softly as he tossed the empty bottle in the trash and headed down into the den to get a change of clothes.

* * *

Gilbert couldn't help but stare. His car was in the drive, completely cleaned from the body and down to the tires. That scratch along the driver's door that he got from some jackass who had parked too close was filled in and painted over. How long had he been going in and out of sleep? He debated asking Ludwig, but decided against it, shaking his head and letting out a sigh. He could see Matthew's car over at his house, and the truck was backed up close to the porch. He wondered if everything had already been moved in or not. Once again, he shook his head, quickly moving over to his car and sliding into the seat. He blinked, picking up a small sheet of paper with one hand as he closed the door with the other.

"Hey, I noticed a few things about your car. I hope you don't mind, but I fixed all the minor things.

I would suggest getting your oil changed, though. c:

Matthew"

Gilbert let out an amused snort, a sliver of a smile creeping onto his face. He hadn't really thought of the blond to be much of a car person, but he'd been wrong before - though he wouldn't admit that. He folded the paper and shoved it into his pocket, pausing to glance at his seat belt. Gil couldn't remember the last time he actually wore it. Slowly, he pulled at the strap and moved it around his body to click it into the lock. It wasn't all that uncomfortable, even if it did cut into his shoulder just a bit. He took a deep breath, turning over the engine and letting out a hum of pleasure at the purr of his special baby. With a grin, he put the car into reverse and pulled out of the drive slowly, quickly putting it into drive so he could tear out onto the road. It felt so awesome to drive his own car, it gave him a freedom that nothing else really could. He glanced at Matthew's house as he passed, setting his jaw and gazing back at the road ahead. He had a lot to ask.

* * *

"So why'd you call us out here again?"

"Toni, mon cher, Gilbert is in need of assistance."

"Yeah, so try and remember it." Gilbert took a bite of the massive sundae in the center of the table, watching the blond and brunette argue for a moment over a cherry. In the end, Antonio had given up but Francis let him have the cherry if the other would let him feed it to him. Gil made a face, reaching over and smacking the back of Francis' head.

"Stop hittin' on Toni, you loose bastard. I'll tell Kirkland again." He was satisfied when he got a quick glare from the Frenchman.

"Mon dieu, I can't even have a little fun with my friend? Really, Gilbert, you're so harsh!"

"Whatever, drama queen." Francis made a face at Gilbert, to which the albino just grinned and took another bite of the sundae.

"So.." Francis started, pointing his spoon at Gil, "Who is our little Gilbo crushing on?" Gilbert choked on part of a cherry, swallowing harshly and clearing his throat. Oh man, how was he going to explain?

"Wait, Gil's got a crush on someone?" Toni's eyes lit up with a sly grin at Gil, and the albino had to look away.

"Look, it's not a crush okay? I don't know what it is, just that I'm.. attracted to this person."

"This is not strange for you, my friend."

"No, you don't get it. The.. person is... Well, it's complicated to explain."

"Is it a woman?"

"Not exactly.."

"A man?" Gilbert went silent, staring hard at the napkin dispenser that had suddenly seemed very interesting. Francis shared a look with Toni, grinning before he picked a cherry from the sundae and plopped it in his mouth.

"Makes me think of Lovino! He's a man, but he looks so girly in the body. He's so adorable!"

"Oui, and my amant angélique- I mean Arthur.. is the same." Gilbert shifted uncomfortably in his side of the booth. He knew that his friends were openly homosexuals, and he had never really judged them for it, but it felt weird for him to be attracted to a guy! He had always enjoyed seeing chicks, ecspecially the ones with big breasts that liked to wear tiny bikinis. He just felt so strange.

"It's cool for you guys to be all whatever about this, but I'm not gay! I've never once even thought about guys in any kind of sexual way," Gil paused, toying with the spoon between his fingers, "..Of course, he doesn't look much like a guy. He's got soft-looking wavy blond hair. These gorgeous.. kinda blue-violet eyes, with glasses. Ach mein gott, his curves.. he looks nothing like a normal guy!"

"Oui, he is feminine. There are many of them out there."

"But he's different! There's just something about him that draws me in, man. I swear it's got to be those eyes."

"Your eyes are different, so what's all that great about his?"

"You haven't seem them, Toni. They're fucking amazing," Gil leaned his head on the table, gazing out the window with a distant expression, "I could seriously just lose my mind in those eyes.." Francis gave a bright grin, making a crooning noise in his throat.

"This is much more than a simple crush, or attraction. Mon cher, you're in love!" Gilbert's head shot up, the spoon clattering to the floor under his feet. Love? How the hell could he be in love with a guy? He wasn't even bisexual, let alone gay!

"No, no, no. No, you have to be wrong. I can't be-"

"Does your heart pick up when you think of him?"

"I.. yeah."

"Do you get hot in the face when he's around?"

"A.. little bit.."

"And tell me, mon cher, how much time you've devoted to him. How often have you spoken to him since you met? Do you get upset when others are around?" Gilbert let out an annoyed sound, hitting his head on the table loudly enough so that the other cafe-goers looked over.

"We talked a lot the other night, I was helping him move into the house he bought, we spent over two hours talking when I was showing him the house, and it pissed me off when Luddy said he'd help him move in." With a heavy sigh, Gilbert finished speaking. God, he hated himself for admitting all of that.

"Oui, it is so clear! Our little Gilbo is in love!"

"Gilby has a boyfriend~ Gilby has a boyfriend~"

"You guys are assholes.." How the hell could he have fallen in love with this guy? They had only met a couple days ago! And hell be damned if he believed in that 'love at first sight' bullshit. Was he really in love?..

* * *

*** Read and review! Hope you enjoyed it!~ ***


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